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Tuscan Tomato and Bread Soup

It’s going to be a one way ticket this time. While we’ve flown that direction several times and I’ve even spent my childhood there, this time it’s different. Life plays funny games, takes you up and down paths that are different and exciting. It’s been almost 16 years – 16 grand years here in Germany and now the time has come to say goodbye – for a while at least.

When I left Doha, Qatar almost 16 years ago, never did I think I would return again. My parents moved to Dubai shortly after I came here and although I visited Dubai after that very often, never did I have the opportunity to return to Doha. This time I have a one way ticket – Weimar to Doha and accompanying me is my family.

The region is a buzz and in Tom’s field there is a lot happening. Once in a life time projects and exciting research, so the offer Tom got was quite irresistible and we decided we had to rock with it. Tom leaves in June and Soeren and I will follow end of July.

Till then we have a lot to do – you can imagine – but because a big move like this is not enough of excitement, hectic and emotional, Tom and I decided to take it up a notch and renew our vows! More about that in another post.

I have been going through a funny roller coaster ride of emotions, giddy highs and miserable lows. There are days when I can hardly wait to get out of bed to tackle the next chore on my list. Then there are days when I just want to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed all day – anything but not have the thought of leaving.

There’s no turning back though – Soeren has been accepted to his new school in Doha, we’ve made lists of everything we want to sell. Several of the things have been sold and as each piece leaves the house it leaves not only a visual gap behind. The cleft in my heart grows too. At the same time though my pulse races with excitement at the new venture.

I’ll be leaving behind cherished memories and some of the most fantastic friends. I hate that! Why can’t I take my friends with me? Soeren too, will leave behind so much. He loves his school and is one of the most popular kids at the school. His buddies actually came to me in tears the day Soeren told them. So, the question has been asked – why? Why take a flourishing plant, rip it out and plant it in another place without knowing if it will flourish as well there?

As a family unit this move is a big step forward. For Tom it means working on a challenging and exciting project, for Soeren it means having the opportunity to go to one of the best schools and gather the same experience I did, getting to know different cultures and meeting people from all over the world. For me it means having the opportunity to be closer to my parents again and gathering more international work experience. Not to mention we will be living by the ocean and a step closer to my fantasy world!

In terms of food, Qatar will be quite exciting. Although, there are certain issues that do not fit in my bigger picture, for example organic products are not readily available, almost everything is flown in from everywhere in the world and regionally grown/produced products are minimal, I am still looking forward to things like the plethora of fresh fish and seafood, Alfonso mangoes and the Indian/Arabic cuisine to name just a few. What I am really looking forward to are the colorful and wonderful spice, vegetable and meat markets - I can't wait to share my adventures with you.

This little blog space has become my island, where I can come and be creative and share my thoughts regardless of where I am in the world. For this I am happy because I can take you where ever I go! As the weeks go by I might not be able to come around here as often as I would like to and I might not be able to visit you to leave comments and share my enthusiasm on your creations. Whenever I can steal some time I will be back to update you on the latest.

The recipe today is a gorgeous, hearty Tuscan soup known as Pappa al pomodoro. A mix of deliciously roasted cherry tomatoes and canned Roma tomatoes with a good helping of olive oil and fresh basil give the soup its fresh flavor. It fits in perfectly with the current weather - somewhere between Winter and Spring. I have used organic wholegrain spelt bread in the soup, the spelt grains adding a great bite to it. Traditionally however it is made with stale peasant bread. You can try this with any bread you like just stay away from factory produced white bread. This is a recipe where the quality of products play a large role so try and get your hands on the juiciest tomatoes, best olive oil and the heartiest bread you can find. You won't be sorry.

In a large bowl add the cherry tomato halves, 1 sliced garlic clove, a drizzle of the olive oil, a pinch of Fleur de sel and pepper and a quarter of the basil. Toss well then spread out evenly on a baking tray. Gently roast the tomatoes for 20- 25 minutes to bring out the intense flavor of the tomatoes.

In a large pot, heat up some olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, then pour in the canned Roma tomatoes complete with the juices. Coarsely mash the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Add approx. 350-400 ml of water and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Throw in the bread cubes and the basil leaves, setting some for decoration aside. Season the soup to taste, giving the whole thing a good stir.

Once the cherry tomatoes are nicely roasted and caramelized add them, along with the roasted garlic and oil, to the soup. Make sure you scrape off all the bits stuck to the tray and add them to the soup too.

Stir the soup well. The consistency of this soup should be thick with almost a creamy texture. If your bread had bits of grains or seeds in it you should have a more porridge kind of texture. You can adjust the consistency to your liking by adding more water, should you find it too thick.

Serve in individual bowls with a sprinkling of chopped basil leaves.

Sauté some sliced garlic and chopped chili in olive oil until fragrant. Spoon the perfumed oil over the warm soup and enjoy.

Pappa al pomodore loosely translated means mushy tomato soup .This thick stew-like soup is a staple in the Tuscan region, where the typical Italian housewife usually threw the soup together to use up any leftover bread - it was not something that was served to guests. Nowadays it is very much en vogue and can be found on restaurant menus all over the world. I love the simplicity of this dish and if I do not have any stale bread around and get a craving for the soup I will buy a fresh loaf and allow it to sit for a day - just for the soup. Both Tom and Soeren love the lovely freshness and rich tomato flavor of the soup. It’s just right for a quick dinner and even better with lots of friends and bottles of Chianti!

Good luck with your move Meeta! I am sure you will find just as many exciting avenues in Doha. I'll miss you when you are away, but the thought of the new goodies awaiting us in the coming months will keep me company :) Take care & Hugs!

Congratulations and good luck, Meeta! I moved a lot in my childhood years-- and I am glad I did. Got to see a lot, gain an appreciation for diversity, and well, bond even more with my mom through our travels. I'm sure Soeren will love your new adventure, and benefit from it.

Life is such an adventure and this is going to be VERY exciting for all. It seems too bad that loss is always part of the adventure and excitement. A great soup like this one will give great comfort. This is one of my very favorite soups.

Good luck with your move Meeta! I look forward to hearing all about it and following you on your new adventures in Doha. I'm glad you're able to grasp at the positive things about this move...too many times we focus on the negatives as humans. Love the soup too...the addition f spelt bread gives it a wonderful nutty taste.

I can understand Soeren's feelings but new venture is ahead for him. I am sure he will enjoy the new life too once he makes new buddies. What an experience it will be for him! I am are you are happy but sad to leave Germany too, you get to be nearer to your parents at last! :)

Enjoy. You will not have to see the snow for a while there in Doha! ;D

How very, very exciting!I believe it is phenomenal that you take this big step with such a good foundation - renewing the vows speaks volumes about the fact that you will be successful even if everything around you changes. Your family will be strong enough.

Reding your post i feel excited for you. I am so happyfor you andtom and soreen andalso youwllbe vloser to your parents too, which is a added bonus.Wishing you allthe best and the soup looks so so yumm.

Good luck with the move and new adventures, Meeta. I am sure you will have more exciting things and fun to look forward to in Doha. I am so glad to see how positive u r about your move! You will be missed by when you are away but we will look forward to warm sunshine that u will share with us from Doha:) hugs to u...and that's one gorgeous bowl of hearty soup. perfect one to make my day bright on a gloomy, grey days like this.

All the best , dear Meeta, to the three of you, with the move. I know, it's hard to leave behind the familiar, but there is always excitement in new ventures, as long as you've got your loved ones by your side :-)

Oh Meeta! you know how big a fan I am of yours! Not the one to leave to comment behind but always in love with your blog.I was secretly hoping from the time I read about the move that it should be Bangalore, India.. :-D I went on to convince myself that Tom must be in IT may be SAP or whatever.. and finally I will see you and hopefully see the magic in Kitchen. Nevertheless! I am glad you will be closer to your parents.

hearty congrats on the move....it does take a lot of strength to make a move....especially when when gets rooted for as long a time as you have been.....as for your tomato soup it looks absolutely gorgeous and i feel like tasting it thru the screen.....i have some white patches on my back when someone told me that the reason cud be that i was allergic to tomatoes i was devastated cos i so love tomatoes both raw and cooked....but the doctor tells me that its just dry skin coz of the dry cold weather

Good luck on your move! I am kind of jealous because I have lived in the same town I grew up in my whole life! I've moved to a few different houses, but within the radius of a few miles...I've always dreamed of someday living somewhere where I don't know anyone, and starting new. So what a great experience for your son too!

Wishing you all the very best in such a wonderful adventure you and your family are about to embark on. It is always good to be able to spread your wings and soar so high up. Life will be wonderful, yes you will miss your friends and familiar things but the new things you will see and do will make you feel alive.

Oh, this issue of moving and uprooting is so close to my heart. I grew up in various parts of the Gulf and now live in the States. As a couple, we are thinking of moving soon to Canada and my one regret is not having kids to experience the kind of global lifestyle I have been privileged with so far :) How exciting for your son and what wonderful perspectives he will get !!!Love the blog and the recipe.

I'm so glad to have found your blog--and just in time for your move. Your blog is so wonderful. I can't wait to keep reading more. This soup looks especially delicious. Good luck with your move! What an exciting time!!

Meeta, even though I've became your reader only few months ago, you became part of my food blogging/searching/appetite online fullfilling. I'm sure the moving is hard and there will be challenges to overcome, but we will meet again on the land of the internet with your blog family that will be here when you need us.Good luck with everything!

Oh wow, there is so much to comment about in this post. First, when I was reading your post I got so excited because I saw myself moving back to Mexico 5 years ago. I was going back to a world I knew, but had left behind and my feelings were mixed with excitement, fear, sadness, well, you know the picture. In the other hand we, your readers, will have a lot more to learn from you and your beautiful blog. That also excites me! And what to say about the pictures and recipe? I guess words here won't do any justice :)

Good luck with your move, Meeta. And it will definitely be fun exploring the possiblities even though you miss what you've got used to.As someone who has moved quite a few times, I have a good idea what the whole thing is like.But you can always take a vacation to visit Germany.:)

good luck with your move - I am sure it will be interesting times for you and family but you must be excited about being close to your parents - and I am sure they are equally excited especially to have the chance to see Soren regularly as he grows up!

Congratulations and best wishes for your move - I'm sure that you will be able to take things in hand and settle down and more importantly, settle your family down and make your new house a warm and comfortable home - one where they will walk in and ask as usual "whats for lunch, honey?" :)

"Tuscan" seems to have become just another way for restaurants to encourage a "fad" when all they are doing is serving the same old tired stuff.Its so refreshing then to see the real thing here - a gorgeous soup using fresh ingredients and keeping it simple as it is meant to be - thanks!

Uprooting is so hard... but the changes it brings can be so rewarding! I look forward to sharing your journey of discovery on your blog. This soup looks just heavenly - so simply delicious. My husband would LOVE it!

Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer. After living around the globe I have found my home in the culturally rich city of Weimar, Germany. My life is a roller coaster ride and everyday I look forward to a new adventure. I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...